Brighter Than the Stars: A Voltron Fanfic (Keith X OC)

Chapter 4

Once Hunk and Coran returned with the new crystal and Lance awoke from the healing pod a couple days later, they all filled him in as he ate. "So you guys managed to trap Sendak?" Lance asked eagerly.

"It was a team effort. Even the mice helped," Allura said, fondly scratching under the blue one's chin.

"So what you're saying is Keith was less helpful than the mice," Lance commented.

"I pushed Sendak into the force field!" Keith protested.

"Yeah, after Violet shoved a dagger into his leg and kicked him in the chest."

"I carried you to the healing pods! We bonded!"

Violet chuckled from where she was leaning against a pillar as Lance denied it. What was it with Keith and bonding? First Red, now the blue paladin.

"Whatever. What did you guys do about Sendak?" Lance asked, changing the subject.

"We used a cryo-pod to contain him," Allura answered. "However, it's only temporary until we can decide what to do with him."

"I'm not sure we should be keeping him close to us," said Lance.

"He's too dangerous to be set free," Violet responded. "We could discover a lot of vital secrets about the Galra if we kept him here."

Lance looked uneasy, but he nodded. "So what will we do?"

"First, we have to liberate the Balmera and Shay's people," Hunk cut in, face serious.

Violet raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty hung up on this Shay, Hunk. Could love be in the air?" Hunk reddened

"It's not like that," he said. "Guys, if you see what the Galra are forcing the Balmerans to do - they're forced to live underground like moles. They've never seen the sun. We have to change that."

"And we will," said Shiro. "We'll start a course for the Balmera immediately. Everyone suit up - it's time to act like real men."

"Love the hero speech, but we're not all men," Violet added. She saw Pidge's face go pale. "There's Allura and me as well." Violet watched Pidge's expression. The green paladin looked relieved, but also pained. Violet was certain she was hiding her identity.

"Speaking of, Violet ... we're launching the castle now," Coran said. "If you want to leave - return to your family - now would be the time to do it."

Violet blinked in surprise; Keith went rigid next to her. She let a breath out, and said quietly, "I've been waiting to go home for seven years. Sendak's reign is over. I've helped you, seen you form Voltron, and ... I want to be a part of it. When I first met all of you, I was skeptical. You all have no idea how many 'heroes' have tried to rise up against the Galra and failed in the past years. But I've seen the lions, and I've seen all of you, and ... you might actually have a chance.

"And I want to be there when you defeat Zarkon. So I will stay, if you'll have me."

"Of course you can stay," Keith said. "We all would have been dead twice over if it wasn't for you."

Violet felt herself blush, even though it wasn't called for. In the prisons, there had been no one who knew she was alive, no one who cared about her, except for her family. She'd clung to the hope that they were still out there, that they still remembered her. Because if no one knew you, if no one loved you, did you really exist at all?

But now, she had the paladins. She had Allura and Coran, who bore the same markings she had. She had the lions, who were connected with her. She couldn't just leave that all behind.